News - Humane Society of Berks County

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs: Why the Biggest Problem Facing Animals is Animal People

Please read the following statement: “Person X is a puppy miller’s best friend in Pennsylvania.”

Who do you think Person X is and who do you think made that statement? Given the recent round of bare knuckle politics surrounding the passage of PA House Bill 2525, the “Puppy Mill Bill”, you might think is was said about a lobbyist for the commercial breeding industry or maybe one of the few politicians who actually voted against HB 2525. You would be wrong.

This statement was made by the head on one animal welfare group in Pennsylvania about the head of another animal welfare group in Pennsylvania.

Many people think that the biggest barrier to animal welfare progress in Pennsylvania comes from unsympathetic elected officials, the farm lobby, the NRA, sportsmen’s groups, or even people who just don’t like animals and think all of us in animal welfare are simply nuts. I believe the biggest barrier, time and again, has proved to be the fractiousness of our own side and the often vicious attacks by animal welfare advocates against other animal welfare advocates.

What prompted the statement about Person X above? The fact that she would even speak to those representing the commercial breeding industry at public government hearings on HB 2525 and related legislation. Not for taking them out to dinner. Not even for agreeing with them. But for speaking to them.

During the last round of legislative efforts there were groups who staked out very specific positions. When those positions were not exactly shared by others, even other animal groups who simply wanted variations on the same positions, there were personal attack campaigns against those groups and individuals representing the groups. If a person made the mistake of defending the ethics and commitment of others under attack, that person would then find themselves equally attacked. Believe me, I know. I’ve made that “mistake”.

And I’m not talking about the usual stuff that comes with the territory when your job is to decide who may adopt from you or which animal will live or die today. Anyone in sheltering knows that by doing our job well, someone will likely be made unhappy. I’m talking about very direct personal attacks and efforts to damage individuals and reputations. Blind copy email campaigns that would make those nasty robo-calls in the last election seem tame. The leaking of confidential personal information to bosses and boards of directors. Attempts to interfere with the operations and events of other organizations. Often, with the implied understanding that if you would just back off and take the right position, all the trouble would abate.

In the real world, this might be considered slander, liable, harassment, or extortion. “You’ve got a real pretty little animal shelter here. It would be a real shame to see anything happen to it, like maybe a fire. A real shame…”

In the real world these attacks would be seen as the Mafioso thuggery that they are. But in the animal welfare world, we are all expected to chalk it up to these thugs “just caring too much about the animals.”

And in the real world, it is precisely this back-biting, in-fighting, and blind certainty that has done more to slow animal welfare progress than anything other factor.

In animal welfare, we should be able to bulldoze our way to any place we want to go. There are probably more members and supporters of animal welfare groups in Pennsylvania than just about any other type of group- we rival the registration in political parties. There are hundreds of animal welfare groups in Pennsylvania alone, many like the Humane Society of Berks County with thousands or tens of thousands of active donors, volunteers and supporters. Pet ownership might be the single biggest common factor in this State, greater than income bracket, race, or party. If that’s so, why the hell can’t we wield that power for the immediate benefit of animals?

Because it seems that every single one of those hundreds of groups is so certain that it is the only one which is right. Every person involved, even peripherally, in animal welfare is positive that his or her personal view of the problems and solutions is the only true way. And God help you if you disagree. Especially if the person has a blog.

Want a new law? Great! Ask ten different organizations to give you a top ten. If the new law has nine out of ten things from each list, you can bet that the one thing not included from someone’s list will be the fodder for a nasty campaign where the entire process if faulted and those who don’t share the urgency for that tenth item are branded as caring less about animals, or not understanding the issue well enough, or of being “a puppy miller’s best friend in Pennsylvania”.

Until we can come together on the broad areas of agreement and not allow everything single little issue or personal agenda serve as the uncrossable Rubicon every single time, we will see the welfare of animals in Pennsylvania continue to improve in fits and starts, as it has for decades.

Now, I know some of you reading this may have sat through a few meetings with me and are rolling your eyes at my call for singing Kumbaya. I admit it, I’m passionate and forceful in my advocacy for the positions HSBC feels are important and I fight tooth and nail to get those positions considered and adopted. But when it comes time to compromise and create something that will do the most good for the most animals at the fastest pace, I do it. I do it because it is the most effective way to get things done, even if I can’t get everything I want done now, and because the alternative is getting nothing done.

Fortunately, most other animal welfare organizations share that view and recognize that we are one among many and all are doing what we can and what we think best. The HSBC’s slogan may be a little cheeky (The Leader In Animal Welfare) but the affirmation that our goal is to break new ground and to find novel approaches, and to, yes, even lead, doesn’t mean we belittle or dismiss the efforts and accomplishments of other organizations, as some may. All of us can, and should, be leaders in animal welfare. However, a leader with no one following is just taking a walk. And for too long we have all been taking walks. While some organizations continue to strike out alone, the HSBC, cheeky slogan aside, has actively embraced the partnership of other organizations. Through direct interaction, healthy rivalry and sometimes just blatant theft of our neighbor’s great ideas, we’ve been made a stronger and more effective organization.

Our partnership with individuals and organizations with whom we have sometime clashed or not seen eye to eye has resulted in some of our greatest successes and ultimately our greatest changes in course as we have been better able to see our mission through other’s eyes.

But the greatest promise for the future is a turning away from responding to the nasty attacks and taking part in petty squabbles that are so easy (and enticing) to engage in and instead strengthen the bonds among friends. The influence of friends is so much more powerful than the pressure of those who consider themselves our enemies. I know that as the HSBC has worked more closely with others we have been changed for the better and I like to think we’ve rubbed off on some others in a beneficial way, too.

But those who are so certain of their perfection and rightness, who represent themselves as the only way, who seek to diminish the contributions and commitments of others, will find themselves increasingly diminished as others simply move on without them. The old politics of histrionics and bullying are losing their appeal and impact. And while I do not question the commitment and contributions of those individuals who seem to gravitate toward those tools, I am among the growing crowd who are simply weary of it.

The HSBC is working with so many right now: Individual shelters from around PA and the nation, Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, Federated Humane Societies of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, Pennsylvania Animal Response Team, Humane Society of the United States, State and local government agencies , and local human welfare agencies. When so many can find so much to agree on and work toward together, one can’t help but wonder why some seem to be forever in opposition to and outside of these partnerships and working groups. Is there no common ground to be found? None?

We should no longer be asking how someone else is wrong. We should ask, “What is the problem we can agree on, what are the possible solutions we can agree on, and will those solutions actually work?” When we choose as donors and volunteers to support efforts of others, we should question whether someone seems to spend more time talking about how wrong someone else is rather than talking about what their solution is (including the HSBC). Let’s not just ask, “What have you accomplished?” Let’s ask, “Have you prevented others from or assisted others in getting things accomplished?” And let’s set aside the tired, failed architecture of the past hundred years of animal welfare with all its faults and recriminations, and decide it is time for a new way forward.

Pennsylvania is a very big place with many individual strengths. If we can unite these strengths in a single direction, those strengths become a force. With that force we can all, together and side by side, lead animal welfare forward. And we welcome others to walk with us. Or not. But either way, we’re walking forward with the friends we have.

ps: Want to ask me those questions or any other? I'd welcome the opportunity. If you run into someone with something less than kind to say about the HSBC, please remember that I am here to answer any question and address any concern. Please call or email me at 610-921-2348, ext. 10 or kminor@berkshumane.org.

That's what I thought this morning as I paid for my coffee and glanced down to see the headline in the January 24, 2009, Reading Eagle which read, "Appeal of ruling against dog law rejected."

We were right. It certainly seems a victory for the Humane Society of Berks County. We had campaigned against this ordinance, which had the potential to not only impact regular dog owners in the City of Reading but could have cost us from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year if enacted. We are, after all, the City's largest owner of pit bulls and there was no provision to exempt us from the $50 to $500 license fees required under the ordinance. More than that, the ordinance was ineffective (as demonstrated by data), unfair and burdensome (as attested by citizens), and, in our opinion, unconstitutional. Apparently that opinion was shared by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

When increasing mountains of data showed that this ordinance was not effective, I was as shocked and concerned as any. I had been one of the ordinances biggest cheerleaders when I first arrived at the Humane Society five years ago, quoted in newspapers and touting it to animals control agencies across the country. On the face of it, this was a smart, effective way to handle the serious public safety problem of dog bites. How could I and everyone else have been so wrong?

But I was and we were. We had forgotten that correlation does not equal causation. The data showed that the rising and falling bite epidemic was a result of other factors than the breed of the dog. In the same way that we know that high crime in a neighborhood populated most heavily by this race or that one doesn't indicted the entire race, we had proof that the supposed "bad breed" had less to do with the bites than several other more dominant factors: sterilization status, whether the dog was licensed, where the dog was housed, or the relative percentage of one breed compared to others.

With such clear cut data, how could the Humane Society do anything other than work to change, improve, even overturn, the ordinance? And that we did. At first quietly, then louder, then from a fighting stance.

But the fight over this ordinance was costly. It strained and broke a once strong relationship between the Humane Society and the City. We were a law enforcement agency faced with one of two choices. We could enforce an ordinance we knew didn't work and began to believe was unconstitutional. Or we could refuse to enforce a law on the books. We chose the latter on ethical grounds but that made the decision none the easier.

That then put the City in a hard place. Can you have a sub-contractor providing you with animal control services and responsible for enforcing your rules publicly refusing to follow your own ordinances? Of course not. While there are few political arts purer than the art of revisionism, there can be little doubt that this was a root cause behind the very mutual divorce of the City and the Humane Society as animal control service recipient and provider.

As a result, the City now pays significantly more for animal control than before, not to mention the legal fees it incurred to fight on in vain and ultimately lose the appeal to keep the flawed ordinance.

Worse was the personal turn the fight took on as good, caring owners of safe, trained (and sterilized) pit bulls felt under siege from a public and a City government reeling from a rash of bites and looking for something, anything, that would stop it. Those of us expressing our opposition were, sometimes very directly and pointedly, accused of not caring about little girls and boys being mauled in the street by pit bulls. My own three daughters (4, 6 and 8 years old) certainly begged to differ with that characterization of their Daddy. It is no wonder that there are still some hard feelings and bruised egos over this whole mess.

All that should now be past. The court have ruled. But that does not mean that there is not still a problem facing our community of preventable dog bites. The Humane Society of Berks County put forward a specific and detailed plan for how we could start to find a better way and how to improve the health, welfare and safety of the humane and canine citizens of the City. This plan was fact based, reasonable and key points were endorsed by the Reading Eagle's Editorial Board. It was rejected by City government.

Maybe now it is time to revisit the subject, work together, and make the tough choices that will make Reading as safe as we all want it to be. The Humane Society of Berks County is here and willing to help, if there is a will to get beyond the struggles of the past and work together to forge a better and safer future.

While there has been a lot of talk about how the economic downturn is impacting Main Street and Wall Street, not as much attention has been given to how it is impacting “Non-Profit Street”. Believe me, it’s impacting us, too.

In fact, we saw the impact early. Corporate donations dropped in 2007 as businesses pulled back on their charitable support. Trust distributions, which provide income from investment portfolios, began to decline along with the stock market. Combined, these two funding sources dropped dramatically in the past year. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that the Humane Society of Berks County is kind of like someone who lived through the Great Depression and never forgot what it was like. That’s because several years ago the HSBC went through a string of financially terrible years. Estates and bequests, the life blood of the organization to that point, all but dried up. Hours, staff and services had been cut, further weakening the HSBC’s ability to raise vitally needed funds. That didn’t seem like good news then, but it sure does now.

That’s because it caused us to take a comprehensive look at how we were funded and how we were handling the funds that we received. First, we needed to get out of the financial mess we had been in and, second, ensure that no loss of a single revenue stream could ever impact us so dramatically and negatively again in the future. With that in mind we very carefully analyzed both our budget and our future so that we could create a long range plan for the HSBC that would further our mission and help more animals, and then figure out how we were going to pay for it.

The result was a diversification of our funding streams, an improvement in the way we were fundraising, and the elimination of revenue streams and fundraising efforts that were costing the HSBC more than they were returning- both in funds and in “mission return.”

To diversify our funding streams we worked to increase the number of supporters providing financial assistance to the HSBC, as well as the ways they could choose to give. Through improved direct mail appeals, internet fundraising, annual giving and planned giving societies, and improved events we were able to increase our donor base by nearly ten-fold in four years. We made our special events better and more cost effective, ensuring that our supporters not only had a better time at them, but that more of the money they donated in support of the events went to the animals. And we made hard choices to eliminate some fundraising efforts that were costing the organization too much for the financial return they offered.

We also evaluated our programs to make sure that they were helping animals and people without causing actual financial damage to the organization, let alone doing harm to the animals. Most notably, our role of as Reading’s and the State’s “dog catcher” was costing us- in other words, costing you the donor- three dollars for every one dollar we received in payment for the service. Not to mention we were playing a role in an antiquated animal control system that helped cause problems like uncontrolled euthanasia rather than helping to prevent them. By turning our efforts from dog and cat catching services to providing veterinary services to those in need, expanding programs like Ani-Meals On Wheels, PetNet, and the Free To A Great Home adoption program, we were able to increase the number of animals being helped, decrease the number facing homelessness and euthanasia in the first place (which should be the ultimate goal, after all), change the way in which animals services were provided and funded in Berks for the better, and generate new operating revenues that were more broadly and sustainably supported.

In the end we had a stronger organization helping more animals and people with better staff and services, expanded hours and additional and improved facilities. And we were less at the mercy of any one financial problem putting a choke hold on our ability to perform our mission. So, despite the recession, we have been able to continue to do our job without the major staff, hours, and service cuts we would have faced in the past.

We have certainly had to make cut backs. We have frozen hiring and wages, we have cut back on expenses that are not absolutely vital to helping the animals, we have relied more heavily on volunteers and extra staff help for projects that might have been done by contractors in the past (so ignore any bad spackle jobs you see), and we have gone through our budget with a fine toothed comb to trim fat wherever we could (not that there was much to begin with!). We want to make sure that in the face of decreased funds from corporations and trusts and increases in the need for our services because of the recession we are in, we are making the most of every penny we receive in support of our mission.

And the simple fact is that you are more important than ever to our ability to provide these services. Your donation, no matter what the size, is even more vital as we try to offset the losses we face in other funding streams. We need you to have confidence that we are spending your money wisely, and that we are providing the “mission return” you expect for your money.

Almost five years ago when we were facing a financial crisis people said, “If only we could find someone to donate a million dollars to help the animals.” But we knew that wasn’t likely to happen. So we asked ourselves, “What if we could find one thousand people to donate $1,000? Or ten thousand people to donate $100?” That is what we have tried to do and maybe you are one of those ten thousand people who now help the Humane Society each year. If you are, it means you are one of many who are sharing the burden and are helping us to do what no single person could.

Now that the entire nation is facing a financial crisis those many helping hands are more important than ever. We hope that you will not only continue to be there for us so we can continue to be there for the animals. We hope that you will appreciate the lessons we learned from our grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression: Do what you can do well and try to do it better, don’t borrow for things you don’t need and won’t help you through hard times, and don’t spend other people’s money like it’s your own. And count on friends and family to help you in times of need.

I truly hope that the Humane Society of Berks County and the animals we help can continue to count on you and all of our friends and family in this time of need.

p.s.- Sorry for the long message this time. Serious issues like these don't lend themselves to sound bite explanations.

If your Representative or Senator was a co-sponsor of the recently passed Puppy Mill Bill (HB 2525) , please express your thanks and support (they like hearing from us when we're happy with them, too!). While you are at it, ask your Senator to co-sponsor HB 2532 (click here to read) so we can get another great bill passed into law!

Please notify the HSBC if there are any errors. No votes in committee are votes to prevent the bill as written from being moved to the full House for a vote. No votes in the full house are votes against the final bill.

After years of need and months of hard work on the part of advocates and supportive members of the legislature, dogs in Pennsylvania have a victory: the new Dog Law has been passed by the House and Senate and will now become law!

Thank you to all those who called, emailed, and rallied, from all of us at the Humane Society of Berks County. You have helped make life better for dogs in Pennsylvania and have helped to remove the stain of cruelty that has plagued our Commonwealth for too long.

There is still one more thing to do. You must hold the State accountable for enforcing this new law. For years the government has said that the problems we all knew were very real in puppy mills, mills which were allowed to remain open, were the result of weak laws. Now they have what they asked for. Will we see real action?

Passing a law has never made a difference. Enforcing a law does. Now that you have developed relationships with your legislators on this issue, ask them to live up to their oversight responsibilities and ensure that this new law is enforced. Also, ask them to ensure that the State is there to provide financial support for the only places that the dogs seized from puppy mills can go: Pa's non-profit, charitable animal shelters.

Now, if we can just get them to pass that tethered turkey and pigeon shoot ban next year...

There is an ugly rumor going through the halls of the Pennsylvania Senate. It's that you and I don't care enough about the health, welfare and lives of dogs in Pennsylvania for the Senate to act in the remaining five days of this year's legislative session.

Why? Because some in Harrisburg don't think enough people came out to the puppy mill rally held on September 15 and that this is proof that people don't really care about this issue in Pennsylvania.

I won't even get started on the arrogance it takes to say that our elected officials, sent by us to Harrisburg to be our representatives, require us to take off work and drive perhaps hundreds of miles round trip in this economy and with these gas prices in order to prove we care about an issue that has generated more public support and outcry that just about any ever. OK, maybe I got started on that a little.

But the fact is, there are only a few days left to pass Senate versions House Bills 2525 and 2532, both of which finally passed nearly (HB 2525) or completely (HB 2532) unanimously. Despite all the work of those who drafted, and re-drafted, and re-drafted again, this legislation; shepherded it through committee votes; and made it acceptable to a wide diversity of constituent groups while protecting it from frivolous attempts to derail it or simply run down the clock; it comes down to just a few days left before the Senate goes home for the general elections.

I know I (and others) have sent you an awful lot of these alerts and every one has talked about why your call or email is important right now. I have meant it every time and because of your calls and emails we actually managed to get this legislation approved in the House, even when there were times it looked DOA.

You and I, by making our voices heard, beat out the puppy mill lobby to get these bills passed in the House. We overcame the bizarre, whispered assertions by some that HB 2525 is a stealth first step at banning hunting-- which is like saying that a stronger law against abusing children is a first step to banning the belt industry. There are actually those whose paranoia would allow dogs to suffer because of some imagined threat to hunting rights. Don't believe me? See for yourself by clicking here or Googling.

Yes, we have come a long way by passing these bills in the House but we still have inches to go. Right now, it all comes down to a few days. It's like the last two minutes of a football game when you are down by one- it doesn't matter how hard you played to that point. You need to get in the end zone (fellow Eagles fans, you know what I'm talking about). The dogs of Pennsylvania need you right now to help get this legislation into the end zone.

This legislation will die if you do not contact your State Senator today and tell him or her how important it is to pass Senate versions of HB 2525 and 2532 in the remaining days of this session. Forward this email to friends, family and co-workers, and ask them to take two minutes to contact their State Senator and tell them how important this legislation is.

Don't let anyone think that after six months of hard work, rallies, petitions, and thousands upon thousands of constituents calls and emails supporting this legislation they can simply decide that because there wasn't a big enough crowd at the Capitol last week they can ignore the will of the majority of Pennsylvanians.

This legislation was over a decade in the making. If it doesn't pass now, there is no guarantee it will be re-introduced next year. And tens of thousands of dogs will face living in tiny, stacked, filthy cages; bred non-stop without ever seeing a veterinarian or getting a walk; and ultimately face being shot and thrown in the compost pile when their use has come to an end.

There are a mere five days left for your Senator to vote on this legislation before they go home to work on getting your vote in exactly six weeks-- in the general election. Don't let them leave Harrisburg without knowing clearly that now is the time to pass this legislation. You must make the calls and emails. You must help flood their offices with calls and emails today, immediately. You must take two minutes to forward this plea along to others and beg them to contact their Senator right now.

We all know that that the scale of animal cruelty offenses can range from the minor infraction to massive offense. In recent months there have been puppy mill busts resulting in 1,000 dogs seized in West Virginia to scores or hundreds seized in Pennsylvania. And while we all are thrilled to see these dogs liberated from their hell of perpetual breeding in puppy mills, we must also recognize that every one of these large cases represents a failure to intervene before a situation got that bad.

All the cases resulting in hundreds of deaths had to start with one death. All the cases resulting in hundreds of citations had to start with one violation.

Now, we all know the reality is that we often don’t hear about these cases until it is too late. Until dogs are dying of disease and neglect and the situation cannot be salvaged. Nonetheless, shouldn’t our goal be to intervene at the first sign of cruelty and at the first tiny violation-- before the kennel operator starts down that slippery slope leading to catastrophe?

The “big bust” makes all the local newspapers and TV and maybe even the national feed or the cable shows. But they also result in more suffering on the part of the animals than if they had been rescued weeks or months earlier when conditions were less severe and less newsworthy. They may result in more obvious slam dunk cruelty cases but wouldn’t we rather intervene at the stage when a warning might suffice if it will save lives? And in Pennsylvania, every one of those “big busts” comes at the expense of some animal welfare agency, supported by donor dollars, not tax dollars.

There is no such thing as “a little cruelty” and we shouldn’t wait for the obvious major cruelty to take action. State Dog Wardens who inspect Pennsylvania’s kennels may have their hands tied by outdated laws when it comes to taking rapid and serious action against bad, or even just lacking, kennel operators. But it only takes a single cruelty conviction to start the ball rolling to get a kennel’s license revoked. Not hundreds. Not dozens. One.

In Berks County, a little cruelty is enough. We will not wait until it’s too late, when dogs are dying from disease, injury and neglect. We’re going to take action when the crime is less “sexy” and shocking but a crime nonetheless. Failure to provide veterinary care for an obviously sick or injured pet is a crime. Making an animal live in filth or in a cage that is too small is a crime. We should not wait until that injury results in the loss of an eye or the sanitation and inadequate caging leads to crippling deformities.

In Berks County we work with our police, dog wardens, judges, district attorneys, and the public to identify even the minor crimes and little cruelties and intervene before they become high crimes and abominations. We must enforce the laws as written, we must advocate for stronger laws, and while we must not persecute, we should never hesitate to prosecute when it is warranted- even a little.

If you are travelling today in Maxatawny Township, Berks County, you’ll find there is a little more silence than there was a month ago. Why? Because the owner of A & J Kennel, faced with an order from a State Dog Warden to get flea bitten dogs relatively inexpensive veterinary care, chose to do something else instead.

He shot eighty dogs and buried them in his compost pile. Problem solved, barking silenced.

Here’s the best part: it is perfectly legal to do what he did in Pennsylvania. In fact, it’s not just commercial kennels. Animal shelters are permitted to do the same thing. Under the current dog law, humane lethal injection isn’t required, nor is the supervision of a veterinarian. Any kennel owner can solve their personal dog problem by just shooting it.

Many of the opponents of House Bill 2525, the pending revision to Pennsylvania’s Dog Law known widely as the Puppy Mill Bill, make the case that most of the high profile cruelty cases and the films shown recently on Oprah showed conditions that are illegal under current law. And they are right.

But that current law also allows those kennel owners to shoot their dogs when they become a medical or legal or financial inconvenience. I wonder what these opponents will have to say about that inconvenient provision in what they claim to be our current “adequate” law. My guess is we will get silence.

House Bill 2525 would have made A & J Kennel’s actions a crime. It could have resulted in faster action, more severe penalties and, maybe, saved the lives of those 80 dogs. How many times will this tragedy need to be repeated before dogs receive the basic, simple protections offered under HB 2525?

Unfortunately, it seems that the loudest voices right now are those seeking to block HB 2525 for whatever ills, real or imagined, they feel this law would create. Well, one thing we know HB 2525 would have done is make shooting these 80 dogs a crime.

But the silence from legislators who beg the need to “study the issue”, “caucus with constituents”, and “consider all sides” means we may not get HB 2525 past those in the legislature who are standing behind puppy mills.

In Berks County we have had several Representatives stand up and make their voices heard: Representatives Caltagirone, Kessler, Mantz, Reichley, and Santoni made their voices heard by either co-sponsoring HB 2525 or voting for it in committee, and we thank them for making the right choice and making their voices heard. Representative Cox made his voice heard by voting against HB 2525 in committee. While the HSBC strongly disagrees with his vote, we at least recognize that he made his opinion public.

From the rest of our Representatives? More "study", more, "caucusing", more "consideration". More silence.

As long as we have silence we will never see HB 2525 come to pass. We need to hear the voices of our Representatives and Senators. We need to hear the voices of our citizens, constituents and supporters. We, as animal welfare organizations, must make our voices heard, too. And we need to demand that no one remain silent about his or her position on HB 2525 any longer.

Find your Representative’s contact information here. Thank Representatives Caltagirone, Kessler, Mantz, Reichley, and Santoni and the other supporters of HB 2525. Urge Representative Cox to reconsider his opposition. Ask any “undecided” Representatives to break their silence now.

I'm starting to think that the reason for this colder than normal May might be that hell is freezing over. Because to those of us who have spent our careers working for animal welfare, that's we thought would need to happen to bring an end to Pennsylvania's puppy mill industry.

But that chill puppy "farmers" are starting to feel is the possibility of meaningful change to Pennsylvania's dog laws that will require significant improvements to the housing and care of dogs in commercial breeding kennels. Thanks to Governor Ed Rendell, proud father of Golden Retrievers and the first governor brave enough to attempt to take on the weirdly powerful puppy mill lobby, and Oprah Winfrey, a fresh level of attention and shame has been cast on Pennsylvania.

Previous attempts to make changes to Dog Law have been blocked by legislators who have stood at the side of the puppy farming lobby. They embraced the icky and outdated notion that puppy mills are a "standard agricultural practice" and that our dogs are no different from factory farmed beef, poultry, or pork. Maybe this is because the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement falls under the control of the PA Department of Agriculture, something the Humane Society of Berks County has long felt demeans the importance of companion dogs in today's society.

But whatever the reason for this flawed perception by some legislators, the simple fact is that no matter what you think about the meat industry (I admit it, I'm no vegetarian) the vast majority of Pennsylvanians believe there is a fundamental difference between our companion dogs and a chicken. And we should reflect that difference by requiring a few important changes like those called for in House Bill 2525.

House Bill 2525 won't ban large scale commercial dog breeding outright. Unfortunately, no amount of political will and popular outcry will make that happen right now. But it will require the bare minimum that we should expect of breeding facilities: larger kennels, proper exercise, temperature control, proper and regular veterinary care, better record keeping, and other no-brainers that have been fought against tooth and nail in the past by puppy farmers.

This may not seem like much but it is enough to both improve the lives of dogs in these facilities, to decrease the profit puppy farmers make on litters and perhaps make them move on to a new "crop". Puppy mills can only exist if they can be operated cheaply enough to make a high profit, by sticking a dozen dogs in a wire rabbit hutch for their entire lives, by not providing medical care or heat or air conditioning or exercise, and by taking unwanted dogs out back for a bullet in the head when they need to "cull the herd".

In the past, efforts to make changes have been stymied by strong opposition lobbying, in-fighting and sniping among animal welfare groups, back room deals that cut out important constituents, and a lack of focus on the real problems and solutions. But with the combined support of Governor Rendell, Oprah, the Humane Society of Berks County, the HSUS, the ASPCA, local animal welfare organizations, and YOU, we have a very real chance of getting this legislation passed, signed and in effect this year.

Is it a perfect bill? No. But if we are to get any action taken that will help dogs in puppy mills, we must embrace this effort at this time with this bill.

Despite rumors to the contrary, this bill will not impact hunters who kennel hunting dogs, animal shelters, vets or boarding kennels. It targets large scale breeding operations. If the large scale kennels are doing a good job, they have no worries. If not, HB 2525 will allow dog wardens to take off legally imposed gloves and give them the tools they need to prosecute puppy millers. It will also allow them to revoke kennel licenses and shut puppy mills down, not just hand out piddling little fines for violations that shock our senses but under current law result in fines of a few dollars.

Below you will find links to locate and contact your elected Representative and Senators. Email them or, better yet, call them and ask them to not only support HB 2525 but to sign on as a co-sponsor. If one of your Representatives is on the Agriculture Committee (see below), make it clear (politely, please!) that you expect swift movement to vote this bill out of committee for a full vote of the House.

UPDATE (6-26-08): HB 2525 voted out of committee. Now needs to be approved by full House!

UPDATE (07-04-08) Through the cowardly leadership of Chester County Representative Art Hershey, a handfull of Representatives thwarted the overwhelming majority of Representatives by putting forward over 100 amendments (such as PROHIBITING access to water for more than a couple hours a day) in an attempt to derail the bill. They succeeded in pushing off a vote on the bill until the House returns for a shorter Fall session. Don't let this bill die a slow death because of the despicable actions of a few Representatives who seem to be the only people on the side of those profiting from the torment of dogs. Call your Reps now and leave messages telling them you expect action when they return.

And remind them that you will vote this November on animal welfare issues and that you will pay attention to how they vote on this bill. The HSBC will be tracking the votes and letting you know who voted for Pennsylvania's dogs and who voted against them. This shouldn't be a partisan issue, it should be an issue of right and wrong and officials from both sides of the aisle should join together.

Help to end Pennsylvania's national embarrassment. Please call your elected officials right now.

While it might be premature to pronounce the era of the dog catcher dead, across the nation animal welfare organizations are steadily handing the responsibility for being the dog and cat catcher back to the municipalities who are, and should be, responsible for that service. Although animal control is a government function, for decades animal welfare organizations have taken on the job.

Often this role started out in a well meaning enough way. SPCA's and Humane Societies voluntarily took over animal control rather than see the cruelty and abuse often suffered at the hands of private and municipal animal control. Before long, many States and municipalities began to rely almost exclusively on non-profit, charitable organizations to provide these services in place of police or municipal employees- and to subsidize the expense. You may not be aware of the fact that in Pennsylvania the average animal shelter providing animal control services subsidizes 75% or more of the cost of that service. Local and State government quickly figured out that they could count on us to foot the bill and direct tax dollars to other "more important" services.

We are not talking small sums here. The estimate provided by a national municipal management association to provide proper animal control services to a community is $4 to $10 per person, per year. That means that in Berks County the bare minimum that should be getting spent by government is 1.2 million dollars a year, based on our population. Between State and municipal funds devoted to animal control in Berks County, less than $200,000 a year (at most) is provided by government for these services. That's only about 15% of what municipal managers themselves say should be spent at the very least.

Where does the rest of the money come from? From you and from all the charitable donors who give to animal welfare organizations who provide animal control. It also comes from the animals. Those hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to keep townships and cities from having to spend money on animal control and public safety could be getting spent to sterilize animals, adopt animals, provide veterinary services and education, and more.

That's why the big conversation at animal shelters around the country and at national animal welfare conferences is about finding the best way to help animals and place the burden for paying for government services where it belongs- on the government. Increasingly, the conclusion being reached is that it is time to divest ourselves of the job of dog and cat catcher for local government and for the State.

That is the conclusion reached by many, many shelters. Large and well respected shelters like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York City and the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Philadelphia. Small and well respected shelters like the York County SPCA right here south eastern Pennsylvania. And now, by the Humane Society of Berks County.

We couldn't just dump all our animal control contracts without ensuring that the animals had someplace to go. But we couldn't go on aiding and abetting a failed system that, in the end, results in more death and misery because it lets our government off the hook for a societal problem. So, we declined the State dog control contract in 2008, choosing to take no money rather than taking fifteen cents on the dollar- and being treated like we should be grateful for that. We offered services at rates closer to the real cost (but still only 25 to 30 cents on the dollar), knowing that penny pinching governments would finally face the real cost. And knowing that our time offering animal control would swiftly end when they did.

That's why we didn't even include any animal control funding in our 2008 operating budget when our Board of Directors passed it last fall. We knew that most local governments still wouldn't buy the cow, even if the milk stopped being free. Some governments choose to go the way of offering their own services. Some find new partners at other organizations that are more comfortable with the status quo. We're happy to allow them to do whatever makes sense for them.

What we will do is fulfill our mission by continuing to create innovative, award winning adoption programs that are being modeled around the country and right here at home. We will continue to develope nationally recognized emergency programs that help more animals and people. We will continue to use the best academic research to determine and attack the root causes of pet overpopulation, abuse, and homelessness.

Many organizations struggle with this decision, as we have. Is it the right thing to do? Where will that displaced income come from? What will people think? We know the answers, if we just have the courage to admit it. We know we shouldn't be bailing out the government at the cost of animal lives. We know people don't give us money to subsidize animal control services, they give us money to save lives. We also know that if people really knew the cost in lives and resources they'd demand to know why we waited so long.

And because we won't be taking the financial scraps offered by the government, we can be even more active in fighting for good animal welfare legislation like the dog tethering bill and fighting against bad legislation, like Reading's Dangerous Dog Ordinance. We can ask hard questions of those in power. For example, if we care about our dogs so much in Pennsylvania, why is the Bureau of Dog Control part of the Department of Agriculture, as if our companions animals were chickens or cattle to be farmed and harvested? Why can't dog wardens cite kennels for animal cruelty? Why doesn't the State put one penny of tax money toward dog control work that protects our pets and our people, instead choosing to nickel and dime the effort through dog license sales? It's hard to ask these questions of the government- if you rely on it for a pay check.

We'd rather find our resources elsewhere and seek our aid from those who truly care about animals. Not politicians trying to find the lowest bidder, cheapest services, the best sound bite, or the most politically expedient approach. We know that this might come with some hard feelings or maybe a sudden rise in "surprise" inspections, but it's worth it. We know who our friends are and we know who it is who's really helping us to make a difference.

In other words, we'll keep turning to you to help us change and save even more lives. We know that people who really care about animals don't want to do what is easiest and cheapest, they want to do what is best, even if that's hard. And we're right there with you.

The Humane Society of Berks County urges the City of Reading not to pursue this case and this well intentioned but seriously flawed ordinance any further. We have no doubt that a competent attorney will be able to bring a compelling case before the PA Supreme Court that will result on this ordinance being struck down for a broader variety of reasons. While the Humane Society understands the natural desire to want to do something in the face of a rash of dog bites, this ordinance was the wrong tool.

It targeted an entire population based on the actions of only a few. It had no requirements for determining if the criteria used was or remained valid over time. It started and has remained clearly intended by many as a means of controlling one particular breed, pit bulls, not any random "aggressive breed". Ultimately, it's extremely punitive licensing fees (fees that were outside the ability of many working families to pay)were required only of those owning a particular breed, resulting in a defacto and illegal breed ban.

All this aside, we don't need it to get bites down. Despite a major upturn in bites in the first part of 2007, increased enforcement of existing State and local dog control laws drastically reduced bites, not just by the pit bulls who would have been impacted but by all dogs of any breed. In the first seven weeks of 2008, even with the prospect of the ordinance completely off the radar until 2009, bites are still down 20% over last year and pitbull bites are down 66%. With good enforcement of existing laws, bites can be curbed without the threat of a Draconian breed ordinance.

It has been widely reported that the Humane Society of Berks County has called for a huge license fee for unsterilized dogs in Reading. As is often the case with positions of subtlety, this is accurate in the most selective of contexts. What the Humane Society has said is that IF the City insisted on keeping its ordinance, we believe that the restrictions should be targeted at the populations of dogs that are statistically vastly more likely to bite than any individual breed, even those scary pit bulls. These include (in order of percentage of total bites in Reading in 2007): unsterilized dogs of any sex (at least 71% of bites), any male dog of any breed (at least 67% of bites), unlicensed dogs of any breed or sex (at least 61% of bites), or unsterilized male dogs of any breed (at least 58% of bites). You would need to go through all these populations before you get down to a breed group like pit bulls (39% of bites). We believe that there is no reason to jump over these demonstrably more "aggressive" populations in order to target a breed-- unless the whole point is simply to target the breed.

So, pit bull owners, take this opportunity to prove the proponents of this ordinance wrong. If you haven't already, get your dog sterilized, always walk it on a leash, don't leave it outside unsupervised, keep it licensed, take your dog to a qualified obedience program, make sure that your dog is a model canine good citizen, and help the Humane Society and the City of Reading aggressively target the bad owners of dogs they have made bad- whatever their breed.

If you don't, you'll probably see some clever, new version of the ordinance rear its head soon.

Pigeon Shoot Ban Update!

Update (1-7-09): It has been reported that one of the three remaining pigeon shoot locations in Berks County, the Strausstown Gun Club, has decided to stop holding pigeon shoots and has dismantled its shoot facility! This is great news and if it is true and remains the case, we applaud Strausstown for their decision! If you are a sportsman, consider letting Strausstown know much you support their decision to join the rest of the modern hunting community.

That still leaves the Pikeville Gun Club, Oley, and Wingpoint Sport Shooting Club, Hamburg, as the remaining organizations who have not announced that they will no longer hold shoots. We hope that they will reconsider and help us end Berks County's national embarrassment.

Update (11-25-08): While a ban was not put through in the past legislative session, the recent elections have resulted in changes in leadership in the House. We must re-double our efforts to convince the new leadership that the time for a ban on this unsporting, profit driven practice is now, and we need to convince our Berks Representatives and Senators that the solution should come from Berks! Ask your Senator and Representative to consider the ban and consider language that will work for both sides of the issue.

There are those who are concerned that this is a first step to banning hunting and guns, so they won't even admit their own repugnance toward pigeon shoots. There are those who want to ban the pigeon shoots but may, in fact, have a broader agenda and won't give in to langauge that might make that agenda harder for them in the future.

It is time for us to work around the extremists on both ends of the spectrum and join with the vast majority in the middle who can agree that this fight is about this one thing and one thing only- pigeon and tethered shoots. It is time for reasonable people in the middle to find a reasonable and acutely limited common ground on which we can all agree!

One thing is for sure. Animal lovers and real hunters both find pigeon shoots unsporting and way out of the main stream. I bet if the animal people will say they really won't use this issue as a future springboard for an anti-hunting agenda, the hunters might tell their fringe folks to climb down off their supposed Second Amendment concerns to meet in the middle. After all, some of us animal folks love the Constitution, too.

Update (7-29-08): Largest Pigeon Shoot in the United States will be held this weekend in Berks County at the Strausstown Gun Club (click here for WFMZ 69 news story). Contact your Senator and Representative now and ask them to support Senate Bill 1150 and House Bill 2130 (click here for a locator). End our national embarrassment!

Update (3-19-08): PA Senate Judiciary Committee temporarily postpones action on Legislation to Stop the Use of Live Animals for Target Practice

Although the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee had designated March 18 for consideration of Senate Bill 1150 to prohibit the use of live animals or fowl for target shoots, extended debate on a different controversial bill to amend the state constitution resulted in postponing debate and consideration of SB 1150 at the committee meeting.

Rather than risk having SB 1150 fail because of lack of proper consideration, the bill’s prime sponsor, Senator Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), requested Committee Chairman, Senator Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) to reschedule SB 1150 for the next meeting of the Committee, at which time Senator Browne believes the bill will be approved by the Committee.

Most importantly, your telephone calls and emails to the Committee members have helped to pave the way for SB 1150 to be approved by the Committee when it is rescheduled! The momentum remains with us thanks to your efforts!

One of the most important things that you can do is to acknowledge that hard work of legislators who are willing to introduce and push to passage bills in the face of stiff opposition. Senator Pat Browne is that kind of legislator. Please take a moment to send him a note thanking him for introducing SB 1150 and for his continued efforts to achieve committee approval and final passage of this bill.

As we saw this past week when the NRA tried to thwart our efforts to pass SB 1150, through email alerts from a variety of humane and animal advocate groups around our state and nationally, for the first time since this issue has been in the legislature we were able to surpass the opposition calls and emails to legislators generated by NRA efforts! You can help to sustain this momentum by helping to increase our numbers to be able to generate calls and emails at a moment’s notice. Please forward this message to other animal advocates and encourage them to take action and to join our email alert list.

As always, thank you for your support. SB 1150 could not have made it this far without you!

On Tuesday, March 18, 2008, the Senate Judiciary Committee will finally vote on SB 1150. To pass, this Bill needs every single vote and the seven co-sponsors of SB 1150 needs to be present or send in proxy "yes" votes to ensure it passes out of Committee. Please, take a few minutes to click on the link to the members of the Judiciary Committee below and email them to urge them to support this Bill!

Then please contact your Senator (if they are not on the Committee) and tell them you expect them to vote for SB 1150 when it come up for a full vote of the Senate.

Senate Judiciary Committee

Greenleaf, Stewart J., Chair (Co-sponsor, thank you!) White, Mary Jo, Vice Chair (Ask to support!) Costa, Jay, Minority Chair (Co-sponsor, thank you!) Scarnati, III, Joseph B., ex-officio (Ask to support!)
*Majority* Browne, Patrick M. (Prime sponsor, thank you!) Earll, Jane M. (Ask to support!) Gordner, John R. (Ask to support!) Orie, Jane Clare (Ask to support!) Piccola, Jeffrey E. (Ask to support!) Rafferty, Jr., John C. (Co-sponsor, thank you!)	*Minority* Boscola, Lisa M. (Co-sponsor, thank you!) Fontana, Wayne D. (Co-sponsor, thank you!) Stack, Michael J. (Co-sponsor, thank you!) Stout, J. Barry (Ask to support!)

Fifteen minutes of your time now could finally put an end to this cruel and archaic "sport". For more information on SB 1150, what it will and will not do, and to contact Berks County Senators, read the archived message below. Thank you!

Berks County is one of the last places in Pennsylvania to still hold pigeon shoots. Pennsylvania is one of only two States in the United States to legally allow these shoots and the only one where they are still taking place. And right now Berks County can help bring this shameful and unsporting practice to an end.

The Pennsylvania Senate may soon be bringing SB 1150, which bans pigeon shoots, to a vote. It will be a close vote and many of our elected representatives have not yet taken a public position on SB 1150. We need your help now in order to convince undecided Senators to support the bill. Just a couple of Senate votes could be all that stands between this bill being defeated or becoming law. Shouldn't those Senate votes come from right here in Berks County, the last remaining stronghold of organized pigeon shooting?

Pigeon shooters claim it is a secret attack on gun rights. Where does it say that? I'm a gun owner. I don't see anything about taking my shotgun away.

Some "sportsman" clubs say that this is an attack on hunting rights. Where does it say that? The hunters who support the Humane Society of Berks County don't see anything about taking away their right to hunt. They see the provision that specifically prohibits this bill from doing anything to hunting regulations.

Some say that pigeon shoots are good old fashioned hunting. The Pennsylvania Game Commission disagrees. A Commission spokesman, Jerry Feaser, said that pigeon shoots are not what the Commission "would classify as fair-chase hunting."

Best of all, those who actually hold these pigeon shoots in Berks County are finally saying what they are really all about: "gambling, pure and simple." I'm not making this up, read it for yourself here.

Some of our elected representatives say they need to check with the pigeon shooters to see what they think about a ban. The last time I checked, our elected representatives represented everyone in their districts, not just the extremely few people who profit from the continuation of this antiquated and absurd "sport".

It's time that we, the vast majority of people, tell our elected representatives that the time to pass this bill into law is now. This is not a fight between hunters and animal welfare advocates, or between Republicans or Democrats. There isn't some fringe bunch of do-gooding pigeon huggers trying to get some crazy law passed. It's about moderate, mainstream people of all stripes, like you and me, who want to join the rest of the United States and end these pigeon shoots now.

Our elected officials don't want to hear from lobbyists on both sides about this issue. They want to hear from us, their constituents. So, let's tell them what we think and why the should support this no-brainer of a bill.

And let's tell the pigeon shooters who flock here to Berks County from around the country because it's the only place in America they can indulge their petty desire to shoot caged birds that we don't want them- or their dirty gambling money.

Please, take five minutes out of your day right now to help make that happen. Together we can get this bill passed.

You can make a difference in two minutes! Email your Senator now (you can cut and paste the sample message below or write your own).

Don't know who your Senator is? Below is a link to a Senate District locator using your zip code.

"Dear [Senator]: If you haven't already, please cosponsor S.B. 1150, the bill to ban pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. It is time to stop permitting these cruel and unsportsmanlike events in our state. A handful of these events still take place in Pennsylvania. I ask that you join effort to bring this antiquated, cruel, and unsporting practice to an end Statewide. Sincerely, [Your name & address]"

Have another two minutes? Place a personal phone call to their office urging them to support SB 1150.

And if you have 5 more minutes, consider looking up your State Representative to let them know that you haven't forgotten the House version of this bill (HB 73).

From out of Berks County or Pennsylvania? In PA, please contact your Senator and Representative to encourage their support. Out of PA, contact the above Senators and tell them that you welcome PA into the family of States that has banned pigeon shoots!

The close of each year comes with its share of endings and beginnings. The Humane Society of Berks County has had another busy and I am very happy about the new friends, relationships, accomplishments and recognitions coming to the HSBC this past year: Two new staff veterinarians, our staff being added to the boards of two major Pennsylvania animal welfare organizations (Federated Humane Societies and Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team), an invitation to present at the American Humane Association’s national conference in Washington, D.C., the opening of our spectacular Cat Adoption Center, the biggest years ever for our Walk and Arf’s Art Auction, reaching our goal of 100% pre-adoption sterilization of pets, expanding Ani-meals On Wheels…the list goes on.

We were only able to accomplish these things with the support and commitment of our volunteers, staff, board, and donors. Through their time, effort, and funds, we were able to build upon the hard work of the last few years to prepare the HSBC for a leap into the vanguard of animal welfare efforts in the United States. We asked our friends to help us and you have. The Humane Society is poised to make even bigger strides in 2008, strides that will improve the lives of animals and their people in Berks County and beyond as well as serve as a model for what a little, local animal welfare organization can accomplish. In 2008:

As huge as these things are, there are even bigger things on the horizon that will make an even bigger impact on the lives of animals and help make the HSBC a leader in animal welfare in Pennsylvania, not just Berks County. We’ll keep you posted as these opportunities begin to take shape. Of course, all this means that we’ll need even more friends and even more support to make these things a reality for the animals in our care. We’ve learned that we can’t do it alone but that we also get the support we need when we ask for it from those who care about our mission to save animals as much as we care about it.

Of course, with beginnings come endings. After a fantastic two year relationship with VCA Animal Hospital as part of their Adoption Health Guarantee Program, we will be transitioning to a new kind of post-adoption partnership. We cannot thank them enough for being there for our animals and we look forward to a long, if different, relationship.

Another ending is the end of the HSBC’s participation in the Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcements Dog Control Contract in 2008. This contract paid the Humane Society and other agencies money out of dog license sales to be the dog catcher in parts of Berks County. Unfortunately, the amount received was grossly less than the service provided cost and as much as thirty cents of every charitable dollar received by the HSBC was going to subsidize State and local animal control. On top of all this, the contract was with the very agency with oversight and regulation powers over our organization putting the HSBC in the awkward position of negotiating contracts with the very people with the power to lock our doors. Additionally, the State contract provided no protection to stray cats or other animals. The HSBC believes all animals deserve to be protected, not just dogs. The HSBC reached the difficult conclusion that contract served to drain the organization of the resources our donors gave to our mission, provided inadequate protection for animals, and gave a huge incentive to local government to abdicate its responsibility to provide residents with high quality, comprehensive animal control services for all animals.

Although the HSBC will still rescue every injured stray animal, will still investigate and prosecute every reported case of animal cruelty, and still accept every stray and homeless pet at our facilities, we will only provide animal control services to municipalities who will contract us to do the job right and for a fair fee. We will no longer use your charitable money to subsidize pauper’s wages paid to provide municipalities and the State with an way to avoid providing services that are standard elsewhere in the country. And we will pay for all those services through charitable donations so it is clear that saving animals is our mission not our “job”.

We have asked those receiving our services, including the County and the City of Reading, for financial help in making sure the HSBC is a safe haven for stray, abused and homeless pets. We have received some hopeful signs from some corners. We also received such a resounding silence from others that we are beginning to think that our organization might only be a valued partner at other’s convenience and at other’s prices. The Humane Society of Berks County won’t do less than we can do or less than we know is right just because other can’t or won’t help us.

As strongly as we believe in and have pursued partnerships, we also know that when the time comes to stand up and do what’s right for animals and their people you sometimes stand alone.

Thank you for a great past year and thank you for the great year to come. I know that together we will continue the fight to protect animals from abuse, neglect, illness, and homelessness and that, together, we will win that fight.

Every single day at the Humane Society of Berks County we save animals, one at a time. We do it with the help of volunteers and donors, who give of their time and sweat to help the HSBC undertake its mission to help animals and people in need. But to really help animals in a big way, thousands at a time, not just one by one, we need the help of a group that is sometimes overlooked as the greatest asset animals and animal welfare organizations have: our elected representatives and judges.

Unfortunately, sometimes this very same group can be the single biggest obstacle to helping animals we face.

The HSBC is a non-political organization. We talk to and work with all of our elected officials. We are blind to political party or affiliation. We only care about helping animals and working with those who have the power to make a difference across Berks County, Pennsylvania, and the United States. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Of course, even if we did want it another way, we couldn’t have our wish. As a 501c3 charity, we are prohibited by federal law from endorsing or opposing candidates for elected office. We can’t tell you who we think are “good” candidates or “bad” candidates when it comes to animal issues. We can only tell you where we stand on the issues and what specific legislation will mean to us. It’s up to you to walk into the voting booth and make the right choice- the right choice for animals.

If you don’t think that your vote matters to animals right here in Berks County and across the country, you are wrong. Why is Pennsylvania the only state in the Union to still legally allow live pigeon shoots? Because the last time legislation was introduced just a handful of representatives defeated it. Our elected representatives. Why does Pennsylvania have the dubious reputation of being a puppy mill hot spot? Because dog law enforcement has had their hands tied by agricultural rules intended to protect farmers but are used as a shield for puppy mills. Who needs to change those rules? Our elected officials. Who has abdicated Pennsylvania’s responsibility to provide proper animal control services for our two and four legged citizens, placing the burden on animal welfare agencies like the HSBC (and costing us thirty cents of every dollar you donate)? Our elected officials. And when animals are beaten to death, set on fire, thrown out of fourth story windows and the culprits receive fines, probation, or less, who hands down those light sentences? Our elected judges.

And the biggest shame is that most of our elected officials are kind, caring people who want to do what’s best for everyone- even animals. Unfortunately, it only takes a few who answer to big special interests that don’t care about animals or who don’t care about animals themselves and don’t see what the big deal is or just don’t take you and your concerns seriously because you are only talking about animals, to ruin it for all animals.

It’s time for you and me to show candidates for office that we are a special interest group. A group with a special interest in the humane treatment of animals. We need to ask candidates some hard questions and demand answers. Questions like:

We need to demand answers to these questions and others. We need to support candidates who are right on animal welfare and oppose those who are not. We need to show candidates that there is a price for being on the wrong side of animal welfare issues. And it’s not just enough to vote—we need to get out and tell others what we think and urge them to join us. We need to push for and support candidates who represent us and our beliefs. In districts where there is no race between political parties, we need to support pro-animal welfare candidates in the primaries. It is time for us to stop being ignored and for animals to stop facing homelessness and neglect because of the indifference of those elected to represent us.

The Humane Society of Berks County can not and will not endorse or target any candidates. However, we will do what we are allowed to do: We will tell our supporters-- our 10,000+ active donors and supporter this year alone-- what our positions are on a variety of animal welfare issues. We believe that pigeon shoots should be banned immediately. We believe that breed specific legislation is bad for dogs and bad for public safety. We believe that government should pay for animal control and “dog catching”, not charities. We believe that dogs deserve better than being viewed as a farm commodity. We believe that dogs should not live their lives tied outside. We believe that those convicted of animal cruelty should face the full brunt of the law like other violent criminals do. We believe that every candidate for office should visit an animal shelter in their community so they can see firsthand what animals face every day across the country- and across Berks County.

And we believe that you should hold politicians and judges accountable (and reward them when they deserve it) for their actions and inactions. When you vote, you can do more to help animals in a few minutes by asking these simple questions and voting your conscience than a shelter can do in a year. On Tuesday, November 6, you can do just that.

Would you like to learn more about what you as an individual can do to make a difference? The HSBC is partnering with the Humane Society of the United States and others to help those who care about animals and animal welfare to learn how they can make a personal and significant difference.

If you would be interested in attending a meeting to learn more, please contact me at kminor@berkshumane.org. If we receive enough interest from our supporters, we will have an informational gathering.

The purpose of this gathering can best be described as an opportunity to learn about a pilot project of the Humane Society of the United States to recruit citizens concerned with the humane treatment of animals into an Army of the Kind network, motivated and educated in the public policy processes of how to successfully pursue animal related issues. It will include printed material with detailed information and step-by-step procedural suggestions of actions that have proven to be effective in past campaigns on behalf of animals.

If I had to pick a single guiding principal that has led to the many recent successes of Humane Society of Berks County, it is our aggressive pursuit of great partnerships. It seems like a no-brainer in an industry that is all about forging new relationships between people and animals.

However, animal welfare organizations have a very well earned reputation for not playing well with others. Often, shelters don't just clash with those who disagree with our core principals, we often clash with those who share them. Other shelters, rescues, the veterinary community, volunteers- animal welfare types are sometimes better at discovering what separates us than they are at locking onto shared goals and values. There's a real tendency toward a splintering, go-it-alone approach.

But let's be perfectly honest, no cat ever rescued itself from abuse, no dog ever screened an adopter and then drove itself to its new home, and no rabbit ever wrote a check to pay for its care and feeding. It's people who do these things and its people we need to forge effective partnerships with. Everything we do at the HSBC is based on that premise. All of our greatest successes have been tied to our partnerships and friendships:

The list goes on and on and continues to grow. We don't just pay lip service to our partnership efforts, either. When we make the decision to partner with a person, a group, or a corporation, we mean serious business. The HSBC is a devoted companion, an active partner, and a fierce ally to our friends and that devotion is returned in kind.

Our partners have helped us to save more animals, offer more services to those in need, change more lives, and even pay for more of it, than we ever could have done alone. We take our efforts to find others to help us to accomplish our Mission and Vision as seriously as we take the Mission itself. By doing so we not only get vital support, we actually share our Mission with others. Our Mission becomes the Mission of many.

The funny thing about partnerships and success is that the more you have of each, the more you discover that you need to do-- and can do. Then you realize just how many more partners and resources you really need. That's why we need you. You are invited to join us in that Mission and make it yours. Join the 10,000 others who have donated time, resources, or money to the HSBC in the past year. You'll be in good company and we'll be proud to be judged on that.

Postscript: The Humane Society of Berks County's partnership efforts recently received a great compliment. The HSBC has been asked to present a workshop on effective partnerships at the American Humane Association's national conference in Washington, D.C. in September, 2007.

Humane Society of Berks County executive director, Karel Minor, and Humane League of Lancaster County president, Joan Brown, will co-present "Combine and Conquer: Establishing Effective Partnerships That Further Your Mission".

Special Update: Visit Press Releases page for Reading Eagle editorial endorsing HB 73 and press release about the joint policy statement.

Urgent action is needed on an important Judiciary Sub-Committee vote on Pennsylvania House Bill 73. This bill, introduced by Representative Frank Andrews Shimkus, and co-sponsored by 37 other Representatives (including Berks County's Thomas R. Caltagirone), would ban pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. The Humane Society of Berks County endorses this bill and asks that you make your voice heard in support of its passage. Similar bills have been defeated in the past. However, in growing numbers our Representatives are recognizing that the time has come to end this cruel and unsportsmanlike practice. You can help make the difference this time.

Until recently, those opposing pigeon shoots were seen and characterized by the pro-pigeon shoot lobby as placard-carrying animal extremists. Our elected representatives in some of the more conservative districts, like some in Berks County, tended to view those opposing pigeon shoots as fringe voices being whipped up by outsiders. However, in increasing numbers, perfectly reasonable people, people like you and me and our neighbors and families, are beginning to conclude that pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania should finally come to an end.

This is not an anti-sportsman position. Most of us are, know, are related to or married to, or are friends with hunters. Even HSBC staff, volunteers, and board range from vegans to fishermen to hunters. We may not agree on everything all the time, but we have one common mission: to protect animals from homelessness, cruelty and neglect. Sometimes that common mission leads us to agree that a legal practice should come to an end. Pigeon shoots are such a practice. Hunters and vegans alike should be able to agree that shooting a captive pigeon as it flies out of a box is cruel at worst and unsportsmanlike at the very best.

The opponents of the proposed ban make very strident claims. They say that this is a first step toward doing away with the Second Amendment, taking away our guns, banning hunting and fishing, and ending a proud Pennsylvania “tradition”. That is just silly. I am a gun owner and I staunchly defend my Second Amendment rights. I was raised by fishermen and fisherwomen and, yes, I fish. I could not support this bill if I thought it was the first step in a conspiracy to prohibit me from doing these things. As far as ending a great “tradition”: I’m sure we can all think of a few great “traditions” in our country’s history that were best put behind us.

This is about taking a reasonable position against a cruel and unsportsmanlike pastime, and we need your help and the help of your neighbors, families and friends to get it done. If only a few “animal nuts” raise their voices, this bill will likely die. But if a broad cross-section of people who recognize when it’s time for a change raise their voices, our elected representatives will take notice.

I met with my State Representative recently to tell him how I felt about this issue. He said that he was on the fence because half the calls he had received about HB 73 were for it and half were against it. I believe that this is because he has only heard from those on the far ends of the debate. I believe that there is a huge "silent majority" in the middle who have not yet told him how they feel. If you are a part of that silent majority, make your voice heard now. Let your Representative know right now that you think the time for rounding up hundreds of wild or captive-bred pigeons, shooting them as the fly out of a box, and having people-- sometimes children-- shoot them or stomp them as they lie wounded on the ground, has come to an end.

I know that “activism” isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So we have tried to make it easy for you! At the bottom of this page is a link that will take you to a link to the draft Bill 73 so you can read it for yourself, a link to the NRA website so you can read the opposition’s position for yourself, and links to key Pennsylvania Representatives for this issue. You can tell them how you feel using our sample email text. If you live in a different Representative’s district or just aren’t sure who your Representative is, there is even a link to search by ZIP code. Once you have contacted your State Representative, please email people you know, even people who are not “animal people” and tell them why this is important.

Please contact your Representative today and ask him or her to co-sponsor and support HB 73. Don’t let the opportunity slip away from us once again. Thank you for helping to make a very real difference in Pennsylvania.

The HSBC is commited to making our positions on issues clear, our basis for reaching those decisions transparent, and presenting the "other side's" arguments. We deal with complicated issues and we consider them extremely carefully. You may not agree with us every time, but we hope you at least agree that we do not take ill-informed, poorly evaluated positions.

Taking Action Is Easy! You can help get this bill passed in less than two minutes. Find your Representative from the list below. If you do not know who your Representative is, use the "Find Your Rep" link to locate by County or ZIP code. Below you will find sample text for your email to your Representive. You may send your Representative a message in your own words or cut and paste the sample text below (use the simple instructions below if you aren't sure how).

Sample Text: "Dear [Representative]: If you haven't already, please cosponsor H.B. 73, Rep. Shimkus' bill to ban pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. It is time to stop permitting these cruel and unsportsmanlike events in our state. A handful of these events still take place in Pennsylvania. I ask that you join Rep. Shimkus in his efforts to bring this antiquated, cruel, and unsporting practice to an end Statewide. Sincerely, [Your name & address]"

Do you have two minutes more? Hearing what you have to say is even more effective than reading what you have to say. After you send your email message, call your Representative on the telephone! Please don't forget to forward this to friends, family and co-workers!

The HSBC is commited to making our positions on issues clear, our basis for reaching those decisions transparent, and presenting the "other side's" arguments. Visit our Blog (click here) to read more about how we reached our position on this issue and others. We deal with complicated issues and we consider them extremely carefully. You may not agree with us every time, but you should at least agree that we do not take ill-informed, poorly evaluated positions.

Here's what the Representatives are saying to thier Consituents about HB 73:

I thank you for your input on House Bill 73. We are going to hold hearings on this bill and have placed this legislation with the Crime and Corrections Sub-Committee. Please know that I appreciate the fact that you took the time to inform me of your position on this legislation. By hearing from the citizens of Pennsylvania, the legislature is kept better informed and in touch with the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.

Representative Sam Rohrer. Representative Rohrer voted against a similar bill in 1993:

Dear Holly: Thank you for your email in regard to banning pigeon shoots. As you may know, this sport has been one of controversy for a long time. Sports of this sort were always viewed as a matter of local decision making when it was conducted within the confines of the broader Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and guidelines for hunting that prohibited cruelty to animals. In addition, due to so much public involvement, very few localities, if any, conduct these activities. Therefore, I personally see the necessity of pursuing other legislation to be more critical. I will be glad, however, to talk to Rep. Shimkus to determine his thoughts. He perhaps has information of which I am unaware. Sincerely, Rep. Sam Rohrer

Have you gotten a response from your Representative? Forward it to us and we will post it. We will also track thier votes and post them so you can see where they stand on the issues.

But it wasn’t born yesterday.

At the Humane Society of Berks County we are very proud of our growth over the past couple of years. We have adopted more animals than ever before, upgraded our facilities and programs, improved training, and have put together a team of the best staff and volunteers anywhere. We are also proud of the fact that these accomplishments have been recognized by our donors. Through their support we are well on our way to getting off the treadmill of fundraising ups and downs that lead to always going one step forward and two steps back (But keep those donations coming, we still have a long way to go!).

One area in which we have made particular strides is the quality and scope of our Animal Protective Services. This is the department that rescues injured stray animals, enforces Pennsylvania’s cruelty statutes and animal laws, and provides animal control service to municipalities. In the past two years we have increased our number of State trained and sworn Humane Society Police Officers to five* (making the HSBC one of the largest forces in the State* as of publication date), we have expanded our “on-the-clock” officer coverage to seven days a week, and we have expanded our “on-call” services. We have implemented one of the best and most detailed data tracking systems in the State and we have taken charge of the effort to coordinate emergency services during a catastrophe through the Berks County Animal Response Team. As a result, the animals, residents and municipalities of Berks County are getting the most effective, efficient, and highest quality animal protection services ever.

There is just one problem: The HSBC isn’t being paid to do most of this.

Most people don’t know that the State requires us to cover the costs of expensive mandated training for our officers, all legal expenses for getting officers sworn in by the courts, the cost for required continuing education, and all personnel, vehicle, and associated expenses. We even have to pay for the printing of the citations we use to enforce the State’s laws. We receive no funding to provide these services. We don’t even get a portion of the fines redistributed back from the State the way “regular” police departments do when they write a ticket. Despite this, the HSBC investigates about 1,000 complaints a year. Why do we do it? Because if we didn’t do it, no one else would and the animals would suffer. You might ask: Why doesn’t the State pay for it? The answer: Why should they when we do it for free? They weren’t born yesterday.

Most people don’t know that the stray dog control services in Berks County that would be provided by a State Dog Warden in other counties are provided by the HSBC and the ARL under contract with the State because there is no State Dog Warden based in Berks County (since publication the State has added on Dog Warden to be responsible for Berks County). Most people don’t know that this contract is paid for through portion of the funds generated by dog licenses each year and that the license fees and our share of the fees have not increased in years. The HSBC and the ARL each receive about $50,000 from this contract to provide 24 hour-a-day, 365 day-a-year pick up (HSBC provides 24/365 service, the contract only require weekday business hour service) and housing for thousands of stray dogs throughout the entire county each year. Just dogs- no other animals are covered. The actual cost of this service at the HSBC alone is well over $300,000 a year. Why do we do it? Because if we didn’t do it, no one else would and the animals would suffer. Why doesn’t the State pay more for it? Why would they when we do it and they can pay twenty-five cents on the dollar for the service? They weren’t born yesterday.

Most people don’t know that the HSBC takes in every stray brought to it each year- dogs, cats, pigs, goats, birds, lizards- and provides them with food, housing, and medical care. That’s three thousand, eight hundred thirty-eight stray animals in the past year. For the past two years we have been extending our dog control agreement with the State to include pick-up of all confined stray animal in our service areas, not just dogs. We think every pet deserves rescue. However, with very few exceptions, virtually no municipality pays any extra fee for this 24 hour-a-day, 365 day-a-year service that we provide to their residents. Why should they? They know we have to at least provide the bare minimum of service to them under the State dog control contract. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? The municipalities weren’t born yesterday.

Let’s not even go into the rabies enforcement work the HSBC has taken on because no one else will. Most people don’t know that bite quarantines range from ten days to six months and quarantine is not paid for by the State- even if there was room in the shelter to provide it. Most people don’t know that testing for rabies involves testing the brain tissue of suspect animals. I’ll leave it to your imagination how our staff has to go about getting that brain tissue so it can be sent to the State health lab. It is not pleasant for them, let alone for the animals who must obviously be euthanized (again, by HSBC staff) to collect the sample for the test. Is the HSBC compensated for providing this vital public health service hundreds of times a year? No. In fact, the HSBC has to pay the shipping bill to send the samples to the lab. That’s not just unfair, that’s plain ridiculous.

What does this mean to the HSBC, our animals, and you, the donor? It means that we are diverting your charitable donations, given to provide medical care, food, housing, and adoption services to homeless animals, to our Department of Animal Protective Services so that we can provide the cruelty law enforcement that the State should be doing or paying for, the animal law enforcement that the municipalities should be doing or paying for, and the stray animal pick up and housing of thousands of animals that the State and municipalities should be doing or paying for. Money that could be going to helping homeless animals find homes and sick animals be made well is getting spent on services that the State and municipalities would (or should) have to provide if we weren’t here to do it cheap or for free! Is that fair? No.

Nationally, the estimates for providing proper animal control services to a community comes out to between $4 and $11 per person. For a community the size of Berks County, that means the minimum that should be spent is about $1.5 million dollars a year. If you take the total money received from the State, County, and municipalities each year by both the HSBC and the ARL to provides these services, the total is less than $150,000. That’s less than 10% of the very bottom of what should be getting spent in Berks County each year. You can bet more than that is being spent on these services by both of our organizations but it’s coming out of the mouths of other animals.

Is that fair? No, it isn’t, and the Humane Society of Berks County wasn’t born yesterday, either.

This year, the HSBC decided to make some very simple changes. We decided that we would ask the municipalities of Berks County to do two things:

First, if they wanted us to continue to go above and beyond the requirements of the State's dog control contract and provide 24 hour-a-day service for all stray animals (not just dogs during regular business hours, which is all the contract requires) they must agree to pay a small additional fee. That fee, in most cases, is less than three dollars a day to start. Three dollars a day for 100% animal control, animal law enforcement, and stray pick up service.

Second, if the municipality does not want to pay for full services for their residents and animals, they have the option to just pay for the HSBC to hold and care for stray animals brought to the shelter and not claimed by the animal’s owner. That fee is just $35. Neighboring counties charge as much as $100 per animal. The HSBC thinks that $35 is pretty reasonable and it gives the municipalities, their residents, and their animals full access to our stray boarding services on a pay-as-you-go basis.

If each municipality took advantage of these options, the HSBC would bring in an additional twenty to forty thousand dollars this year. That’s money that wouldn’t be diverted from our adoption and medical services. Unfortunately, only three municipalities in the entire County chose to take advantage of these services (City of Reading, Muhlenberg Township, and Leesport Borough.* After publication an addition three accepted the additional service). Three out of about eighty municipalities. I guess the municipalities just decided that they’d rather pass the buck to the State and State is going to stick to business as usual. To all those who are taking advantage of the HSBC’s services and charitable donors (donors like you) without paying their fair share- or any share- I say: It is unfair, it is wrong, and you are doing a disservice to the animals of Berks County and to your residents who expect you to provide needed services without taking advantage of charities.

You, the reader, can help. Call or email Reading, Muhlenberg, Leesport, and the Berks County Commissioners and thank them for taking the lead as responsible municipal citizens. Then, call the municipality you live in and tell that you think they should be providing these services to you as a resident and that they should not be taking advantage of a charity to do so. Tell them you think that $3 a day and/or $35 per unclaimed stray is not too much to spend. Tell them that animal welfare issues drives your election choices and that you will remember the decision of your supervisors the next time you vote.

Shelters provide these services because no one else will. But what if we weren’t here to provide them? What if shelters in Berks County did what shelters across Pennsylvania and the U.S. are doing and closed their doors to strays because they cannot afford to take them in any longer? I don’t want to find out. I want the HSBC to be here, to be strong, and to share the burden with those who benefit from our services. Please help us do that by making your voice heard today. I know that as long as our local and State governments think they can get away with taking something for nothing, they will. Who can blame them? After all, none of us were born yesterday.

Archived Director's Message Page

Pigeon Shoot Ban Update!

Senate Judiciary Committee